The 17th round of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season will feature another key match, with defending champions Bayern Munich traveling to Cologne. Kompany stated that the team performed exceptionally well in the last match and hopes the players can maintain this excellent form.

With goals from Diaz, Olise, Guerreiro, Kane, and Goretzka, as well as two own goals, Bayern Munich thrashed Wolfsburg 8-1 in the last round of the league. After four wins and one draw in their last five matches, Bayern Munich sits atop the table with 44 points, eight points ahead of second-placed Dortmund.

In the second round of the German Cup last October, Bayern Munich came from behind to defeat Cologne 4-1.

Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany said, "I hope this form can continue for a while, but we can't forget that the players' performance in the last game was unusual. The motivation is there, and we want to see how far this form can go."

“We also know that playing away against Cologne will not be easy. In the previous cup match, we had a very difficult first half and it was not until the 90th minute that the game was decided. But we always believe that the team can always score.”

When discussing the squad's situation, Kompany said, "From a competitive standpoint, Sasha Boy has been quite unlucky. He was in good form when he got sick at the wrong time, and now we can only wait for him to fully recover."

“Stañic will definitely be out this month, and may even be out for a few more weeks in February, but that depends on his recovery. Alphonso Davies is also sick, which could happen at any time in the winter. His preparation period was not complete, and now he is sick, which is certainly not ideal. I hope he can return to training this week.”

Kompany continued, "Gnabry was also sick before, and there are always a few players feeling unwell in January. He has shown us a lot of high-level performances this season, which cannot be ignored. He can play on the left, the right, and also as a number 10, and he always brings his strength. When he is healthy, players like Olise, Diaz, and Lennart Carr can also get a chance to rotate and rest."

"Musiala is progressing very well and is able to participate in almost all training sessions, and has even done a lot of extra training, which is a very good sign. As for Kimmich, it is too early for him to play tomorrow's game, and he has not yet trained fully with the team."